Les Scarsella
First Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1935-1940)
Les Scarsella was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1935 to 1940 for the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Braves, a span of 6 seasons. In 265 career games, he hit .284 with 255 hits, 6 home runs, and 109 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- First Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 185 lb
- Died
- 12/16/1958 in San Francisco, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1935-09-15
- Last Game
- 1940-05-19
Full name: Leslie George Scarsella
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 265 | 898 | 109 | 255 | 34 | 16 | 6 | 109 | 13 | 37 | 70 | .284 | .315 | .378 | .693 | -1,094 |
Career AVG .284 vs. league average .276 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .315 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 7.9% below league average.
Career SLG .378 vs. league average .396 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .693 vs. league average .739 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | CIN | NL | 6 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1936 | CIN | NL | 115 | 485 | 63 | 152 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 65 | 6 | 14 | 36 | .313 | .283 (+10%) | .349 (-4%) | .404 (+2%) | .753 (-1%) | -184.8 |
| 1937 | CIN | NL | 110 | 329 | 35 | 81 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 34 | 5 | 17 | 26 | .246 | .276 (-11%) | .342 (-17%) | .398 (-17%) | .740 (-17%) | -942.8 |
| 1939 | CIN | NL | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | BSN | NL | 18 | 60 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | .300 | .267 (+12%) | .335 (+3%) | .387 (+7%) | .722 (+5%) | 34.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 265 | 898 | 109 | 255 | 34 | 16 | 6 | 109 | 13 | 37 | 70 | .284 | — | — | — | — | -1,094 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (265 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 129 | 428 | 54 | 132 | 5 | 61 | .308 |
| Away | 136 | 470 | 54 | 122 | 1 | 50 | .260 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940-05-19 | BSN | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-16 | BSN | CHC | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-15 | BSN | CHC | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940-05-13 | BSN | NY1 | L | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-12 | BSN | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1940-05-11 | BSN | NY1 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-09 | BSN | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-05-08 | BSN | CIN | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940-05-07 | BSN | PIT | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940-05-06 | BSN | PIT | W | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 197 |
| Left Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 2 |
Les Scarsella: the record in brief
According to the bio, Les Scarsella debuted on September 15, 1935 and played a final game on May 19, 1940. The season rows list, in order, the Cincinnati Reds (1935 to 1939) and the Boston Bees (1940). Scarsella is listed as a first baseman at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. The bio says Scarsella both batted and threw left-handed. Scarsella was born on November 23, 1913, in Santa Cruz, CA, USA. Scarsella died on December 16, 1958, in San Francisco, CA, USA. Scarsella's full given name, per the bio, is Leslie George Scarsella.
In 265 games and 898 at bats, Scarsella batted .284 with 255 hits, adding 6 homers and 109 runs batted in. Scarsella got on base at a .315 rate and slugged .378 (.693 OPS). The .284 career average is close to the .276 the league hit across the same seasons. By OPS the gap is 6.2% below league average (.693 against .739). Scarsella collected a career-high 152 hits in 1936. Among the seasons with the heaviest workload, the best average was .313 in 1936, 10% above that year's league mark of .283.
Frequently Asked Questions about Les Scarsella
- What years did Les Scarsella play?
- Les Scarsella played in Major League Baseball from 1935 to 1940.
- Was Les Scarsella a pitcher?
- No. Les Scarsella was a position player (First Baseman).
- How many home runs did Les Scarsella hit?
- Les Scarsella hit 6 career home runs with 255 hits.
- What teams did Les Scarsella play for?
- Les Scarsella played for 2 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1935–1937, 1939) and the Boston Bees (1940).
- What were Les Scarsella's career stats?
- In 265 games, Les Scarsella had 255 hits, 6 home runs, 109 RBI, 109 runs, and 13 stolen bases, with a .284 batting average.
- What position did Les Scarsella play?
- Les Scarsella played primarily as a first baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Les Scarsella and how much did he weigh?
- Les Scarsella was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Les Scarsella hit each season?
- Les Scarsella's home runs by season: 0 in 1935, 3 in 1936, 3 in 1937, 0 in 1939, and 0 in 1940. His most in one season was 3, in 1936 and 1937.
- What was Les Scarsella's career batting average?
- Les Scarsella batted .284 over his career, with 255 hits in 898 at bats.
- How many RBI did Les Scarsella have?
- Les Scarsella drove in 109 runs in his career.
- Is Les Scarsella in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Les Scarsella has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.